"THE Christmas House" has become a big attraction in the County Durham village of Coxhoe thanks to fanatical Mary Clark and family.

Since they began collecting and displaying seasonal decorations four years ago, the Clarks have spent £2,000 on singing snowmen, light-up Santas and chiming fairy lights.

Pride of place in their home-turned-grotto are two life-size husky dogs which move.

Visitors come from miles around to see the amazing display, which takes over most of the bungalow and its garden, and takes four weeks to put up.

Several people contacted The Northern Echo to nominate the house, in The Avenue, for our Ho Ho Homes competition.

Mary, who lives with husband Richard, daughters Lisa and Katherine and son Stuart, said she wanted to inject some festive fun into Christmas once the children had grown up.

"Even before I started decorating the house like this I liked Christmas, but as the children got older it just wasn't the same," she said.

"So we started to do this and it seems to have brought the spirit back into Christmas."

Mary hits the sales at garden centres across the North-East to add to her collection.

Daughter Lisa joked: "You know you are sad when you sit outside a garden centre on Boxing Day waiting for it to open."

Visitors to the home are asked to donate money to Coxhoe's Blue Acres Boarding Kennels and Cattery.

www.thisischristmas.co